Striker mechanisms for percussion igniters

ABSTRACT

A striker mechanism for a percussion igniter, which is particularly suitable for use with a pyrotechnic device, comprising a support adapted to receive a percussion igniter, a striker pivotally mounted on the support, spring means associated with the striker to urge the latter to rotate into a position in which it is driven against a percussion igniter mounted in the support, a cocking lever pivotally mounted on the support and engageable with the striker for the purpose of cocking the latter against the action of said spring means, and an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said support for moving said cocking lever in order first to cock the striker and then to release it to enable the spring means to re-assert itself and drive the striker towards said position.

United States Patent Bowring 1151 3,685,451 1 51 Aug. 22, 19 72 [54] STRIKER MECHANISMS FOR PERCUSSION IGNITERS Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-Thomas B. Webb [72] Inventor. fglaegleglgpgvnng, Camberley, Sur- Attorney patrick J. Walsh [73] Assignee: Schermuly Limited, Surrey, England [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Feb. 28, 1969 A striker mechanism for a percussion igniter, which is particularly suitable for use with a pyrotechnic device, [21] Appl 803274 comprising a support adapted to receive a percussion 4 igniter, a striker pivotally mounted on the support, 52 us. c1. ..102/70, 102/64, 102/652 p g means associated with the striker to urge the [51] Int. Cl. F42 15/02, F421 27/08, F42 15/1 latter to rotate into a position in which it is driven 58 Field of Search ..42/1 1; 102/64, 70, 65.2 against a Percussion igniter mounted in the support, a cocking lever pivotally mounted on the support and 5 References Cited engageable with the. striker for the purpose of cocking the latter against the action of said spring means, and UNITED STATES PATENTS an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said support for moving said cocking lever in order first to cock the 3222:23 striker and then to release it to enable the spring means tore-assert itself and drive the striker towards FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Said p 1,001,444 8/1965 Great Britain ..42/1 I 8 Clains, 4 Drawing Figures {7 l6 Iii l0 2 A g I l1- l4 2 h 5 F 4 q I ST-RIKER MECHANISMSFOR PERCUSSION IGNITERS This invention relates to :an improved striker mechanismforinitiatingapercussionigniter.

One know 'striker mechanism "for initiating; azpercussion igniterzcomprises a cylindrical strikeripin which is urged'towards theigniter, in the .axialtdirectionaofithe pin, by a striker"spring-whichtsurrounds the strikerpin.

The striker pinis 'held :bya keeperqalate in. a-zcocked position in which the striker :spring :is rcompressed. -When the keeper plate is removed, the strikerspring reeasserts itself and drives ithe striker "pin :towards'the "percussion igniter 'to initiate the latter. Such a striker mechanism has the disadvantage thatthetstrikerspring .ispermanently stresseduntil'the mechanism-:isactuated and'this :canleadto weakening ofthe spring withconsequent risk ofi'failure 'ofi'the"mechanism2tozinitiate the igniter. Another disadvantage of this known mechanism is the :risk of :premature actuation .offthe mechanism if the keeper plate should "become dislodged accidentally.

In order to overcome'theabove disadvantages, various .proposals have been made .to :provide the abovedescribed striker :mechanism with 'meansc'for .cocking the striker pin immediately 'prior'to actuationof the mechanismITheseprior proposals, however,..have been of a complicated'natureand 'haveadded considerably to the cost ofthe strikermechanism.

An object of the "present invention isto"provide a striker 'mechanism'for a percussion igniter which isof simple and :cheap construction and which does 'not have thedisadvantages of the previously knownstriker mechanism.

According tothe invention, a striker mechanismfor a" percussion igniter comprises a support adapted "to receive.apercussionigniter,astrikeripivotallymounted on the support, springmeans associated withithestriker to urge the-.latter'to rotate into a"'position in which it.is driven against aipercussion igniterrnountedinithe-support, a.cocking lever pivotally mounted .on the support and engageable with the striker forthe .purpose vof cocking :the latter against the :action of said spring means, and an actuating .lever pivotally mounted on 5 said support formovingsaidcocking lever inorder first to "cock'the striker and thenito' release it"to enablethe spring means to re-assert.itself and drivethe .striker towards said-position.

Preferably, saidsupport is acup shapedbody having a cylindrical wall .and a closed end, a centrally disposed hole being provided in theclosed-end forthereception of a'percussion igniter. Outwardlyprojecting lugsmay be secured'to, .or formed integrally with,"the.end of the cup=shaped body for thepurpose of supporting pins on which the various levers of the mechanism. are pivotally mounted.

Preferably, the actuating lever can be-pivoted into, and locked in, a position in which it rests against the striker and preventspivotingmovement of the latter in the cocking direction. The actuating lever may be locked in this position bymeans of a locking .device, for example a split pin, removably mounted on'the suport.

p The invention will now LbeJdescribed inigreaterdetail, 'by way of example, with reference to the .drawing, in which FIGS. '1 zto'fizare'se'ctional :elevationviews of a striker 'mechanismin accordance with'the invention, with the movable-parts .of the mechanism shown in different positions inthethree Figures, and

FIG, '4xisza'plan :correspondingtoFlG. .2.

Referringto'athe drawing, 'thezstrikermechanism .illustrated tcomprises a cup-shaped body, 'made for -.example of plastics material, having a cylindrical wall .1 and a.closed.endf2. Ax:entral, ;axially disposedholefi .in the :endlZ haszacounterbored portion 4:.at its outwardly facing;end,:ana:percussionigniterfiismounted in the hole 3 and thecounterboredportion t.

Two parallel, outwardly "projecting, spacedeapart lugs-'6 areformedintegrally with" the end.2,'these lugs .beingdisposedsymmetricallywith respect fto 'the-rhole T3. The lugs- 6-serve as supportsfforthefendsaof two-pins 7, 8 which are parallel to oneanother and disposed in -.spaced:parallelrelationshipito theEend'ZZ.

A striker plate 9 :is pivotall-y'mounted on the: pin "7 between "the lugs 6, this striker :plate being provided with a firing: pin 1'0. A coil spring "ll on the pin '7 .urges thestriker plate to 'turn in an anti-elockwise direction aboutthe-pin 7to bringthe firing :pin 10 into engage- :ment with .the igniter 5.

-A bentncocking lever 12 ispivota'llyrmounted 'onrthe pin 8 bet-weenrthe lugs 6, this'levencomprising joined portions I13 and 14 disposed substantially at right .an-

to prevent .thefiring pin loengagingthe igniter -5IThe actuatinglever 16 is "folded over intoa position where itsportion 18 rests on the striker plate 9. The actuating lever may bexretained inithis position by a split pin (not shown)'.passing through axially aligned holes 19 in the lugs .6. In" this .condition of the mechanism the spring 11 is only lightly stressed and merely holds the striker plate 9 lightly against the prongs .15 of the .cocking lever.

To initiate the igniter 5, the actuating lever 16 is swungin :thedirection .of the arrow A (FIG. 1) until its portionI7 bears against the portion '13 .of the cocking lever. Continued rotation :of the actuating lever in the same direction about the pin 8 causes the cocking lever 12 to rotate in'the direction of the arrow B (FIGJZ), withtheresult thatthe prongs 15 cause the strikerplate 19 to pivot in thedirection of the arrow C aboutthe :pin 7. This rotation of the striker plate 9-stressesthespring 11.

Continued rotation of the actuating lever in the direction of the arrow A results in .the :prongs l15'mov ing free .of the striker plate 9, with the-result that the spring 11 .cantthen re-assert itself and rotate thestriker ,plate 9zrapidly in'the direction opposite to the arrow .C, so that thefiring pin 10 is driven into the igniter (FIG. 3).

In the Figures the striker mechanism is shown mounted in, and closing, the end of a tubular casing 20, which may be the casing of a pyrotechnic device. A removable protective cap 21 (shown in outline by a chain line in FIG. 1 only) may be secured over the striker mechanism to prevent the ingress of moisture.

From the above description it will be appreciated that the striker mechanism illustrated in the drawing is of a very simple construction, that the spring 11 is not weakened during storage of the mechanism and that there is virtually no risk of the mechanism being actuated accidentally when it is in the condition shown in FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for initiating a percussion igniter comprising:

a support adapted to receive a percussion igniter,

means mounted on the support for initiating the percussion igniter, spring means associated with the initiating means to urge the latter against a percussion igniter mounted in the support,

a cocking lever pivotally mounted on the support and engageable with the initiating means for the purpose of cocking the latter against the action of said spring means,

an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said support, the actuating lever having means for engaging the cocking lever so that the actuating lever as it moves about its pivot point first engages and moves the cocking lever together with the initiating means against said spring means to an armed position and second, moves the cocking lever out of engagement with the initiating means thereby releasing the initiating means to be driven against the percussion igniter under the force of said spring means,

said actuating lever being configured to lie in nested relation when pivoted to a position adjacent said initiating means and said cocking lever for storage prior to use.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which said support is a cup-shaped body having a cylindrical wall and a closed end, a centrally disposed hole being provided in the closed end for the reception of a percussion igniter.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, in which outwardly-projecting lugs are secured to, the end of the cup-shaped body for the purpose of supporting a pin on which the striker is mounted.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3, in which said lugs support a further pin on which the cocking lever and the actuating lever are mounted.

S. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which the actuating lever can be pivoted into, and locked in, a position in which it rests against the initiating means and prevents pivoting movement of the latter in the cocking direction.

6. A mechanism according to claim 1, comprising a removable protective cap secured to said support to prevent the ingress of moisture to a percussion igniter mounted in the support.

7. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which the initiating means comprises a striker pivotally mounted on the support and adapted for direct striking contact g? ll%lt=. a'l 1i% E rlin to claim 1, in which each of thecocking lever and the actuating lever includes shoulder means through which the actuating lever rotates the cocking lever. 

1. A mechanism for initiating a percussion igniter comprising: a support adapted to receive a percussion igniter, means mounted on the support for initiating the percussion igniter, spring means associated with the initiating means to urge the latter against a percussion igniter mounted in the support, a cocking lever pivotally mounted on the support and engageable with the initiating means for the purpose of cocking the latter against the action of said spring means, an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said support, the actuating lever having means for engaging the cocking lever so that the actuating lever as it moves about its pivot point first engages and moves the cocking lever together with the initiating means against said spring means to an armed position and second, moves the cocking lever out of engagement with the initiating means thereby releasing the initiating means to be driven against the percussion igniter under the force of said spring means, said actuating lever being configured to lie in nested relation when pivoted to a position adjacent said initiating means and said cocking lever for storage prior to use.
 2. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which said support is a cup-shaped body having a cylindrical wall and a closed end, a centrally disposed hole being provided in the closed end for the reception of a percussion igniter.
 3. A mechanism according to claim 2, in which outwardly-projecting lugs are secured to, the end of the cup-shaped body for the purpose of supporting a pin on which the striker is mounted.
 4. A mechanism according to claim 3, in which said lugs support a further pin on which the cocking lever and the actuating lever are mounted.
 5. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which the actuating lever can be pivoted into, and locked in, a position in which it rests against the initiating means and prevents pivoting movement of the latter in the cocking direction.
 6. A mechanism according to claim 1, comprising a removable protective cap secured to said support to prevent the ingress of moisture to a percussion igniter mounted in the support.
 7. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the initiating means comprises a striker pivotally mounted on the support and adapted for direct striking contact with the percussion igniter.
 8. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which each of the cocking lever and the actuating lever includes shoulder means through which the actuating lever rotates the cocking lever. 